Chard and Sweet Corn Gratin

I hate this dish. I made it for my ex boyfriend and he left me again. He said it was too salty and he didn't like my parents.

Yes, eggs, milk and cheese are healthy and nutritious foods. They should not be the exclusive foods in anyone's diet, and they should be eaten in moderation with a broad spectrum of other healthful ingredients. This recipe is an excellent example of that. I would add, moderating your need to police other people's food choices is another healthy practice.

I started blanching, then read the notes. End product used half/half with no discernible difference. Don't blanch! Didn't cook the corn--it was fine. I added an extra egg, and a little cayenne and paprika. Also added more cheese (because who doesn't want more cheese). I thought this was a delicious dish that I am happy to eat hot, cold, or room temp. Choose the right baking dish so the finished product doesn't look sparse. I will make this again, and I will try it with spinach. It's a winner!

Chard stems are excellent grilled or pan-roasted - treat them like a colorful asparagus.

You don't have to blanch the corn. I first developed the recipe with leftover cooked corn on the cob, but it will work either way.

Delicious, although I made a few adjustments. Skipped blanching the chard (just sautéed with garlic etc.), and included the stems; added half an onion at the sauté stage; used an extra ear of corn; upped eggs to 4; and added 1/8 t of nutmeg. Like others I didn't cook the corn first.

This is delicious, nutritious, and quick. Pretty thrifty, too. I used leftover chard already cooked with its stems and garlic and squeezed dry by the handful. I used raw, fresh corn kernels cut off the cob. I used dried herbs. The rest I followed as written. Fabulous, really! Still pretty darn fine two days later warmed up for lunch. Taciturn men at the table became voluble with praise.

I I had some small leeks, so I used about 2 cups, chopped, along with the other vegetables as specified. Very nice.

Also, saute all the veggies in one pan: start with leeks, then add garlic, then corn, then greens. No need to use more than one pot.

I will NEVER understand why so very many recipes tell you to "save stems for another use or discard". For me, the stems are what make Swiss Chard - the leaves alone don't do it for me. Except for recipes that require you to use the leaves as wrappers, there's no plausible reason at all why the finely-sliced & blanched stems can't be used in any chard recipe - this one included.

Delicious. Changes I made: dried thyme, 6 eggs, 1 cup milk, 8 oz cheddar, frozen corn (10 oz bag); skipped step 2; sautéed the chard stems (chopped) with the garlic for a few minutes then added herbs and chopped chard (and more garlic) to cook for several more minutes; lastly, I did not add olive oil at the end (but I did use more at the beginning). Cooked for about 45 minutes (I will try 3/4 cup milk next time to shorten the "set" in the middle). Will definitely make this again.

I thought this was great. I was glad for those who preceeded me in making this, since they helped simplify the recipe. I didn't blanch the chard, sauteed the stems with onion at the beginning, then added the uncooked corn and chard and satueed that a bit before mixing everything else together. I left some of the gruyere to put on top of the dish. I would make this again, it is a very flexible dish!

@cp, that's ridiculous. The chard is getting cooked for forty minutes in the oven no matter what you do. The color isn't going to be bright and healthy because you pre-cooked it in some water beforehand. And how on earth blanching, let alone any cooking by any method, prevents non-porous greens from "absorbing" oil is beyond me.

Blanching is important to retain nutrients and maintain that great, healthy color. It also prevents the vegetables from absorbing too much oil.

This is so much better and nutritious than platitudinous scalloped corn. It's sweet corn season, so have a ball.

However, if you make this in the winter or over the holidays, try Trader Joe's frozen sweet corn. It's good quality and easy to use.

Thought for Say, what: I think what Martha Rose Shulman is doing is taking a recipe for a gratin that would normally have more eggs, more cheese and maybe cream, and making it healthier. Not eliminating everything but making a healthier version of a standard. For more about this, see her post on "Getting Good With Gratins" online, which really explains it. In this version of her standard one, she substitutes corn for rice. And if she suggests a technique to reduce oil, I would do it.